Can bodymaker side seam flattening apparatus



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Amen ifs E. LAXO CAN BODYMAKER SIDE SEAM FLATTENING APPARATUS Sept. 20, I949.

Filed Aug. "1, 1947 Sept. 20, 1949. E. LAXO v 2,432,678

CAN BODYMAKER SIDE SEAM FLATTENING APPARATUS Fil ed Aug. 1, 1947 A 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTORQ 0 tax;

5 FIG-.5 BY I WJ/ WW ATTOZYEX! Patented Sept. 2Q, 1949 UNI-TS-TATES PATENT OFFICE ,j r I I 2, 8 r 7 CAN BonY AKER-sIDE SEAM F LATTENINGI. ,7 i V r 1 AEP TU w l" "Ed Laxo, Oakland, Calif., assignor toAtlasqImgperialDiesel Engine 00., Oakland, Calif;, acorporationiof Delaware Application Augustd, 1947, SerialrNo. 765,487 I and guideway' has been necessarily excessive to compensate for the sticky flux which drips from the can body books on to the bumper slide and guideway; a result, it is difficult for the bumper tostrikethe sideseam with anevenly distributed blow; increasing the production of fa-ultilyseamedcontainers; In addition; the flux herdens rapidly onthe bumper mechanism and its guide; acting as anabrasive and introducing wear on the-moving parts, which'further adversely affect the formation ofuniformly flattened sideseams. I

Accordingly; it-isan object of the present invention to provide a bumper mechanism for flattening can bod-y sideseams which is operable overextended periods with close running clearanees between the working parts, thus insuring the striking of a uniform blow along the entire length ofthe sideseam;

Another object of the invention is to provide asideseam bumpermechanism, inwhich flux and other foreign substances are prevented from enteringthe-clearance spaces between the relatively movable par-ts of the mechanism;

One formwhich the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, 'in which:

Fig. l is a transverse: view through the apparatus.

Fig. 2 isa-vertical section taken generally along the line 22 on Figl l.

Fig. 3 is a partial section taken along the line 2 Claims. (Cl. 11312) 2 1 adapted to swing to a position closely adjacent the mandrel; to interlock the hooks on the body blank with one another. Immediately thereafter, a bumper bar or steel l3 moves upwardly to flatten the hooks. against the mandrel I'll and thus securely interlock them with each'other. The operation of th'e formingwings H and the interlocking of the hooks, constitute no part of the present invention; Further details concerning one specific apparatus for perfOI'mingthls opera.- tion may be foundin-myv patent; No. 2,277,519, for Can body formingapparatus.

In the embodiment of'the invention disclosed in the drawings, the bumper steel I3; which extends longitudinally and'tparall'el" to the mandrel 2E3, is secured to a bumper block ld being mounted withinan L-shaped recess l5: in the latter and held'securely to-the'block'by being pressed'against the'verticaI legof'the 'recess i5. by a clamp plate 58 and cap screws Ii' extending through the plate and bumper steel [3 for; threaded reception within the block. The bumper steel l3: extends a substantial distance above the upper end of the block it to; enable its replacement with bumper steels of different vertical heights, depending upon the diameter of the can body. and the mandrel about which it is formed. Because of such replaceability of'the bumper steel; the opcrating mechanism to be described below can be used for various diameters of can bodies without change.

The bumper block M,- with the bumper steel or flattening member It secured thereto, is mounted for vertical movementtoand from the mandrel 10 on a pairofparalle'l links l8. The bumper block has a pair'of vertically; spaced pinsl9 securedto it to one side of thebumperjsteel IS, the inner ends of parallel links I8 being oscillatably mounted on; each; pin, preferably through the agency of anti-friction roller bearings 2 il. These links extend outwardly from the bumper block for pivotal mountingon a pair of upper andlower ment of the bumper block l4. Such parallel motion occurs because of the equal lengths of the parallel links and also because of the fact that the distance between the axes of the studs 2| is equal to the distance between the axes of the pins 9.

The bumper block [4 and bumper steel I3 are reciprocabletoward and from the mandrel by a crank and connecting rod mechanism, including a connecting rod 28 whose upper end 29 is clamped to a pin 30 extending-between the depending legs or bearing bosses 3| of the bumper block. This pin is oscillatable within the bosses 31 on roller or similar anti-friction bearings 32. For the purpose of assembling the rod on the pin 30, its upper end 29 may be formed in two parts with the cap portion 33 bolted to the main body portion of the rod by cap screws 34.

The lower or big end 35 of the connecting rod is mounted upon the crank pin 36 of a crank 31 secured to a drive shaft 38. Rotation of the shaft 38 reciprocates the connecting rod 28 and moves the bumper block I4 and its steel [3 t0 and from the mandrel 10, the bumper block and parallel links l8 being so arranged that when the steel l3 engages the sideseam it is disposed substantially in the same vertical central plane as the axis of the mandrel 10, giving it a direct blow and uniformly pressing the sideseam along its full length against the mandrel, to effect its flattening squarely and evenly, thus insuring the production of a good can body sideseam.

The various pin connections I9, 30 between the parallel links I8 and the blocks I' l, and between the bumper block and the connecting rod f 28 may be readily protected against ingress of flux that might drip from the body hooks, and from other foreign substances. Accordingly, such pin connections may be made with relatively close running clearances, providing practically no play in the parts and insuring the movement of the bumper steel [3 along a predetermined path over extended periods of time. Looseness is, therefore, avoided in the mechanism, in view of the close running clearances, thus insuring the striking of a uniform blow against the sideseam. Moreover, this looseness does not increase as a result of wear due to the abrasive action of foreign substances entering the clearance space between the working parts, since such substances cannot readily engage the various operating surfaces of the mechanism.

As is known in the art, the drive shaft 38 is rotated in timed relation with the action of the forming wings ll in such manner that the body blank is formed around the mandrel l0 and the hooks interleaved just prior to upward movement of the bumper block [4 and its bumper steel l3 toward the mandrel, to produce the flattening operation. Continued rotation of the drive shaft 38 obviously then leaves or withdraws the bumper block and steel from the mandrel and permits the cylindrical body blank to be shifted to the next work station, as the soldering station upon outward swinging and release of the wings H therefrom.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A can body making machine comprising a frame, a horizontal mandrel supported thereby for supporting a can body with hooked ends thereof inter-engaged, a bumper member for bumping said hooked ends and forming and flattening a seam, means for supporting said bumper member underneath and in vertical alignment with said mandrel and for actuating the same, said means comprising a shaft, a crank operable by said shaft and a crank pin secured to said crank, said bumper member being mounted to rotate on said pin, and guide means for guiding said bumper member into vertical alignment with said hooked ends and seam, said guide means comprising a pair of parallel links each pivotally supported at one end by said frame and pivotally connected at the other end to said bumper member, the pivotal frame supports of said links being in vertical alignment and the pivotal connections thereof with said bumper member being also in vertical alignment, said shaft, crank, crank pin and bumper being aligned when said bumper is in said seam flattening position, whereby substantially no impact forces are imposed upon or transmitted by said guide means.

2. A can body making machine comprising a frame, a horizontal mandrel supported thereby for supporting a can body with hooked ends thereof inter-engaged, a bumper member for bumping said hooked ends and forming and flattening a seam, means for supporting said bumper member underneath and in vertical alignment with said mandrel and for actuating the same, said means comprising a shaft, a crank operable by said shaft and a crank pin secured to said crank, said bumper member being mounted to rotate on said pin, and guide means for guiding said bumper member into vertical alignment with said hooked ends and seam, said guide means comprising a pair of parallel links each pivotally supported at one end by said frame and pivotally connected at the other end to said bumper member, the pivotal frame supports of said links being in vertical alignment and the pivotal connections thereof with said bumper member being also in vertical alignment, said shaft, crank and crank pin being so disposed that, when said bumper member is in contact with said hooked ends and seam, said crank, shaft and crank pin are in substantial vertical alignment therewith whereby substantially no impact forces are imposed upon or transmitted by said guide means.

ED LAXO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

